


Until the End of Time

by all_the_ships_are_sailing



Category: Big Brother RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-26
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-27 03:24:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2677220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/all_the_ships_are_sailing/pseuds/all_the_ships_are_sailing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt (from an Anon on Tumblr):<br/>Can you do a one-shot where Frankie has been a bit distant with Zach (like not returning many texts and won't speak on the phone for long) and eventually Zach gets the courage to go to [Frankie’s] house and ask about it. Frankie admits that he can't cope with being just friends anymore because it's breaking his heart too much. Then you can end it however you like.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Until the End of Time

**Author's Note:**

> This is incredibly angsty.

Call Back: Zach Rance  
What are you doing after your show tonight? I fly back to Florida tomorrow.

Frankie didn’t have plans, but he didn’t want to make any either. He didn’t know what to say, so he just let it go and started getting ready for his matinee performance. If he was being completely honest, seeing Zach was probably the worst idea. They’d hooked up a couple times and nothing was ever said concretely until the other night. Frankie could remember it perfectly. He was pretty sure that conversation was going to be engrained in his brain for the rest of his life.

He had agreed to meet up with Zach after his performance on Wednesday night, under the pretense of getting dinner together before Zach went back to his Uncle’s house on Long Island for the night. Frankie however had other plans.

“Hey!” he’d said breathlessly as he wrapped his arms around Zach’s neck. Zach returned the hug with a smile and they’d set off for a nearby restaurant.

“Can we talk?” Frankie had asked once they’d sat down.

“Sure. What’s going on, bro?”

Frankie cringed at the way he was addressed, but he continued anyway. “What’s going on with us, Zach?”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve said we’re best friends about a billion times, but we’ve hooked up, too. I don’t know what this is anymore.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t hook up anymore then,” were the words that broke Frankie’s heart into a million pieces. He couldn’t be serious? This had gone the exact opposite way Frankie had been hoping it would.

“Maybe you’re right,” Frankie had mumbled in return and that’s where the conversation was left.

Back in the present, it was Saturday and Frankie had two shows to perform and the first one was only 20 minutes away. He was sitting in his dressing room at the theater, still staring at the message from Zach on his phone wondering where he’d gone wrong. It was hard to imagine his life without Zach by his side, but it was even harder to imagine that life with Zach as only his best friend. It broke his heart to know they’d never share another kiss, or cuddle the way they used to. His face fell into his hands a moment later when one of his cast mates entered.

“What’s wrong, Frank?”

He looked up just enough to see who had entered and then dropped his head again. “I did the one thing I promised myself I’d never ever do.”

“What’s that?”

“I fell in love with a straight man. I love him more than anything in the world and you know maybe he’s not straight, but he doesn’t want to be with me and it hurts. It hurts so bad.”

“What happened exactly?”

“We’ve hooked up a couple times, but we’ve always just carried on saying we’re best friends, because it’s easier, for him, you know? He’s always been straight, so it’s just easier, but Wednesday we went to dinner and I just asked him to clarify what we were because I was confused by saying we’re best friends, but hooking up with each other, too. He said ‘maybe we shouldn’t hook up anymore then,’ and just moved on like nothing at all had happened. Like as if this was suddenly going to be a perfectly normal and platonic friendship. It isn’t. It can’t be, because I was stupid and fell in love. I can’t imagine my life without him in it, but it’s even harder when I think about my life with him as just my best friend. It’s literally breaking my heart.”

“If that happened Wednesday, why are you crying now?”

“Because he just texted me, asking what I’m doing after the show tonight. He flies back out to Florida with his family tomorrow.”

“And you don’t want to see him, but you don’t want to tell him that?”

“Because I promised that no matter what he decided about his sexuality and how that pertained to our relationship, I would always be his best friend, and I’m not sure I can do that now. I didn’t realize how far I’d fallen until he said that.”

“I’m sorry. Maybe you should just talk to him about it? And just take some time apart, so you can come back together as great friends at the end of it.”

“I can’t face him and say that and it wouldn’t be right to text,” Frankie sighed deeply, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Anyway, we have to get ready for the show.” That’s what they did. Frankie and his dressing roommates got into their costumes and got ready to hit the stage. Frankie’s phone buzzed again just as he was about to leave the room. He unlocked the screen to see it was another message from Zach. He took a deep breath and locked the phone, setting it back on his table.

Frankie performed like he was born for the stage, because he might actually have been. He was able to forget all about Zach for a few hours. Forget the heart-break he was going through, and just be Franz. The show ended and Frankie went back to his dressing room to find a dozen red roses in a glass vase on his desk. There was a tag hanging from one. He flipped it open and read the message quietly to himself.

Frankie,  
I don’t know what I did, but I miss my best friend. I’m sorry and I love you.  
Zach

Frankie broke down crying again before his cast mate returned. He walked over to the chair Frankie had collapsed into and put a supportive hand on his shoulder. “Are those…?” he asked pointing at the flowers. “Did he send those?”

Frankie nodded and continued sobbing into his hands. “Look at the note,” he mumbled feebly.

“Best friend. Best friends don’t send each other red roses.”

“Exactly. That’s why I asked him on Wednesday what we were, because everyone can see that we’re not just best friends. Everyone except him, I guess. So his solution was to say that we shouldn’t hook up anymore? How does that solve anything if he’s still going to do shit like this?” Frankie was sobbing uncontrollably, he couldn’t help it.

“What are you going to do? You can’t just let this keep eating you alive, Frank.”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to just cut him off. I mean he is my best friend, but I can’t stand this middle area. Everything is gray and confusing.”

“You need to explain it to him. It’s all you can do. If he doesn’t understand and agree, you might not have a choice anymore.”

“I know. I just hope that doesn’t happen.”

Frankie gathered his things and headed for the stage door. He stopped to greet a few fans, take selfies, and sign autographs, but he left a lot faster than he usually did. When he got back to his apartment, he collapsed into his bed and looked at his phone. There was an extended text message from Zach. He swallowed an opened it.

Call Back: Zach Rance  
I don’t know what I did wrong, but I’m so sorry. Please just tell me so I can fix it. I love you and I miss you more than anything. Please call me when you have time. I don’t want to go back to Florida without seeing you an especially not with us on a bad page. I need my best friend back in my life. Remember what we said before? I’ll always love you, no matter what, Frankie. Don’t forget that. Don’t forget the good things we’ve had together. I love you so much.

And it hit Frankie like a ton of bricks in that moment. He missed his best friend, too. He was in love with his best friend though, but he was going to have to put that behind him. He couldn’t let Zach go the whole way back to Florida and both of them still not know what it was between them. He heaved a great sigh and was about to hit send on Zach’s number when the door buzzer went off. Now was not the time for visitors, but he didn’t seem to be getting a choice. He dried his eyes and tried to straighten his appearance in the mirror over his dresser. The buzzer went off again. Frankie sighed and walked down the hall to the door. He didn’t bother checking who it was before he swung the door open. He was immediately hit by what felt like a freight train. He lost his breath and his train of thought as Zach’s arms wrapped around his waist and lifted him off the ground.

“Zach,” Frankie breathed finally. “What are you doing here?”

“I told you. I’m not leaving without seeing you again and I need to know what’s going on with us, Frankie. I miss you. You haven’t responded to me in days.”

“I’m sorry,” Frankie breathed, taking a step backwards and shutting the door to his apartment. He pulled Zach by the hand to his living room and together they sat on the sofa. Zach reached for Frankie, to cuddle, to hold him in his arms as had become their norm. But Frankie shook his head and shifted away. Zach look hurt by the actions, but dropped his arms to his lap.

“Frankie, what did I do?”

“You didn’t do anything. It’s my fault entirely. I’m so sorry.”

“What? What’s wrong?” Zach asked, crossing his arms over his chest to keep them from shaking with nervous energy.

“Wednesday,” was the only word Frankie could get out before he burst into tearful sobs again.

“Wednesday?” Zach questioned for a moment before it dawned on him. “Oh my God. Is this about the conversation we had at dinner?”

Frankie nodded, wrapping his arms around himself. “I’m so sorry, Zach. I know what I said, but I fell in love with you. I’m so in love with you it’s painful and then for you to say that. For that conversation to go the exact opposite direction I was expecting. My heart shattered. I didn’t want to tell you, because I didn’t want to face losing you in my life forever. I can’t imagine my life without you, but it’s even harder to imagine with you as a platonic best friend. So much of what we are; what we’ve been is based around so much more than that. Cuddles, kisses, your hugs, I miss every one of them, but if you want this to be just friends, then it needs to all stop.” Frankie heaved a great sniff and curled into himself. “So, I guess you can go if you want, because my heart can’t take being here with you in this state. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, Zach. I wanted to be able to be your best friend, but I can’t do. I can’t handle this.”

“You should’ve said…”

“As if that would have made the outcome any different. You just want to be friends, because you want to keep up your claims of straightness. Don’t worry, I hear you. I just need some time to sort this out for myself. I promise I’m going to do everything in my power to be your friend at the end of this, but right now. Feeling like this, I can’t.”

“Don’t say that. Please don’t say that. I’m not letting go without a fight.”

“I don’t want to fight with you, Zach. Please, just go.”

“I won’t. You should’ve said, because…”

“No. Don’t start that again. I already know the outcome.”

“Let me finish,” Zach insisted, reach for Frankie’s hands across the sofa. “You should’ve said it the way you just did, because when you said what you did on Wednesday night. I thought that’s what you wanted.”

“Wait, you thought I wanted to be just friends?”

“Yeah. I mean, what was I supposed to think? You had just been quoted in an interview saying you were available. Then you tweeted saying you were SO AVAILABLE. I thought you wanted to stop what we had going on so you could pursue something…”

“No, Zach. The only thing I want to pursue is what I have with you. But you…”

“Frankie. If I would’ve known what you wanted, I could’ve told you the truth.”

“Why’d you lie?”

“I didn’t lie, exactly. I just said that maybe we should stop hooking up, since you made it seem to me that that part of our relationship was holding you back.”

“Are you kidding me right now, Zach?”

“Never,” Zach assured him. He wrapped his arms around Frankie and pulled him into his lap. “God, I missed you so much and it was all because I just didn’t understand what you meant by a stupid fucking question. I love you so much, Frankie.”

“So…what do you want then, Zach? A fuck buddy? Is that what this has become? Because I think I could live with that. I could live with that more than I could live without you.”

“No, Frankie. I’m not doing that to you. What we have is something special. I don’t know if I have the words for it exactly, but I love you more than anyone I’ve ever met in my entire life. And that means more to me than anything else in the world.”

“So what? We need to put a label on this. I know I’ve always said labels are necessary, but in this one circumstance, it is. I need to know where we actually stand.”

“I’m yours. You’re mine. Is that enough labelling for you?” Zach asked, holding Frankie tightly and kissing the top of his head.

“So…boyfriends or is that too much?”

Zach smiled. “If that’s the word you want to use. That’s the word we’re going to use.”

“No,” Frankie said suddenly. “I mean, yes, but no. I don’t want you do anything you’re not comfortable with. I’ve told you that at least a million times, but it’s never been truer than right now. How do you want to label this?”

“Boyfriends works, for now.”

“Are you going to change your mind in a few days or what?” Frankie asked, concern evident in his voice.

Zach laughed. “No. But you know, the things I said in the house never stopped being true.”

“What are you referring to in this instance? You said a lot of things.”

“I would marry you. I will marry you. I can’t imagine a life without you anymore. I want you forever. And I want to be yours forever.”

The smile that broke across Frankie’s face in that moment couldn’t possibly be rivaled. Hearing Zach say those words while he was curled in his boyfriend’s arms was more than he could ever ask for. “I love you, Zach. And when you decide to phrase that like a question, know that the answer is already yes and I will always love you until the end of time.”

**Author's Note:**

> Zach seems the type to misread situations and I wanted it to end nicely, so that's why that happened.


End file.
